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My Books
- Book List & Themes
- Strictly for Adults Novels >
-
Tales from Portlaw
>
- No Need to Look for Love
- 'The Love Quartet' >
-
The Priest's Calling Card
>
- Chapter One - The Irish Custom
- Chapter Two - Patrick Duffy's Family Background
- Chapter Three - Patrick Duffy Junior's Vocation to Priesthood
- Chapter Four - The first years of the priesthood
- Chapter Five - Father Patrick Duffy in Seattle
- Chapter Six - Father Patrick Duffy, Portlaw Priest
- Chapter Seven - Patrick Duffy Priest Power
- Chapter Eight - Patrick Duffy Groundless Gossip
- Chapter Nine - Monsignor Duffy of Portlaw
- Chapter Ten - The Portlaw Inheritance of Patrick Duffy
- Bigger and Better >
- The Oldest Woman in the World >
-
Sean and Sarah
>
- Chapter 1 - 'Return of the Prodigal Son'
- Chapter 2 - 'The early years of sweet innocence in Portlaw'
- Chapter 3 - 'The Separation'
- Chapter 4 - 'Separation and Betrayal'
- Chapter 5 - 'Portlaw to Manchester'
- Chapter 6 - 'Salford Choices'
- Chapter 7 - 'Life inside Prison'
- Chapter 8 - 'The Aylesbury Pilgrimage'
- Chapter 9 - Sean's interest in stone masonary'
- Chapter 10 - 'Sean's and Tony's Partnership'
- Chapter 11 - 'Return of the Prodigal Son'
- The Alternative Christmas Party >
-
The Life of Liam Lafferty
>
- Chapter One: ' Liam Lafferty is born'
- Chapter Two : 'The Baptism of Liam Lafferty'
- Chapter Three: 'The early years of Liam Lafferty'
- Chapter Four : Early Manhood
- Chapter Five : Ned's Secret Past
- Chapter Six : Courtship and Marriage
- Chapter Seven : Liam and Trish marry
- Chapter Eight : Farley meets Ned
- Chapter Nine : 'Ned comes clean to Farley'
- Chapter Ten : Tragedy hits the family
- Chapter Eleven : The future is brighter
-
The life and times of Joe Walsh
>
- Chapter One : 'The marriage of Margaret Mawd and Thomas Walsh’
- Chapter Two 'The birth of Joe Walsh'
- Chapter Three 'Marriage breakup and betrayal'
- Chapter Four: ' The Walsh family breakup'
- Chapter Five : ' Liverpool Lodgings'
- Chapter Six: ' Settled times are established and tested'
- Chapter Seven : 'Haworth is heaven is a place on earth'
- Chapter Eight: 'Coming out'
- Chapter Nine: Portlaw revenge
- Chapter Ten: ' The murder trial of Paddy Groggy'
- Chapter Eleven: 'New beginnings'
-
The Woman Who Hated Christmas
>
- Chapter One: 'The Christmas Enigma'
- Chapter Two: ' The Breakup of Beth's Family''
- Chapter Three: From Teenager to Adulthood.'
- Chapter Four: 'The Mills of West Yorkshire.'
- Chapter Five: 'Harrison Garner Showdown.'
- Chapter Six : 'The Christmas Dance'
- Chapter Seven : 'The ballot for Shop Steward.'
- Chapter Eight: ' Leaving the Mill'
- Chapter Ten: ' Beth buries her Ghosts'
- Chapter Eleven: Beth and Dermot start off married life in Galway.
- Chapter Twelve: The Twin Tragedy of Christmas, 1992.'
- Chapter Thirteen: 'The Christmas star returns'
- Chapter Fourteen: ' Beth's future in Portlaw'
-
The Last Dance
>
- Chapter One - ‘Nancy Swales becomes the Widow Swales’
- Chapter Two ‘The secret night life of Widow Swales’
- Chapter Three ‘Meeting Richard again’
- Chapter Four ‘Clancy’s Ballroom: March 1961’
- Chapter Five ‘The All Ireland Dancing Rounds’
- Chapter Six ‘James Mountford’
- Chapter Seven ‘The All Ireland Ballroom Latin American Dance Final.’
- Chapter Eight ‘The Final Arrives’
- Chapter Nine: 'Beth in Manchester.'
- 'Two Sisters' >
- Fourteen Days >
-
‘The Postman Always Knocks Twice’
>
- Author's Foreword
- Contents
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
- Chapter Seventeen
- Chapter Eighteen
- Chapter Nineteen
- Chapter Twenty
- Chapter Twenty-One
- Chapter Twenty-Two
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Celebrity Contacts
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Thoughts and Musings
- Bereavement >
- Nature >
-
Bill's Personal Development
>
- What I'd like to be remembered for
- Second Chances
- Roots
- Holidays of Old
- Memorable Moments of Mine
- Cleckheaton Consecration
- Canadian Loves
- Mum's Wisdom
- 'Early life at my Grandparents'
- Family Holidays
- 'Mother /Child Bond'
- Childhood Pain
- The Death of Lady
- 'Soldiering On'
- 'Romantic Holidays'
- 'On the roof'
- Always wear clean shoes
- 'Family Tree'
- The importance of poise
- 'Growing up with grandparents'
- Love & Romance >
- Christian Thoughts, Acts and Words >
- My Wedding
- My Funeral
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- Contact Me
Chapter Seven: ‘Day Four to Seven’
For three days, I was very poorly myself and seemed lacking in energy. During this time, I remained in bed resting and sleeping intermittently. Alan and I hardly spoke during these three days and I slept most nights.
One week after I’d been admitted to the high dependency ward, Margaret visited Alan again. His wife had phoned the ward and left a message saying she’d come down with a touch of flu and didn’t want to compromise her husband’s low immune system. Amanda stayed away from the hospital for a couple of days; a time which both Alan and Margaret couldn’t have planned for, but greatly welcomed. I remember thinking how bad their marriage must be for Amanda to miss out two days of visiting her dying husband during the last two weeks of his life.
When Margaret visited Alan after her work had ended for the day she looked lovely as usual. She frequently wore these free-flowing dresses that showed the womanly shape of her sexy legs with each step she walked. You know the kind I mean - those dresses that seem to knock ten years off a woman’s age while significantly making any aging man forget his!
Although they kept their conversation quiet, I nevertheless was close enough to catch snippets of it; close enough to make sense of the essential messages being conveyed. I noticed the obvious worry on Margaret’s face as she entered the side ward.
“We need £3,564 by the end of…” I heard her tell Alan. “I’ve paid all the other bills, but…is needing urgent payment. I’ll try to buy us some time if possible and find some way of paying the drivers’ wages meanwhile, even if I’ve to borrow from Timothy’s university fund.”
Alan looked extremely concerned with hearing this news. It was obviously one more worry that he could well have done without during his final week of life.
"Don't worry about it, Alan" I heard Margaret tell him. "I'll sort it...one way or another, even if I've to borrow from my savings!"
"No, Maragaret! You can't do that!" Alan replied anxiously.
“Think nothing of it, Alan,” Margaret replied with tears in her eyes.
“But I don’t want you to use your money to bail out the firm!” he said.
“The three drivers must be paid! They deserve paying, dear,” Margaret replied. “Poor Jake has just fathered his second child and his wife won’t be able to return to work for months. We must keep the drivers’ goodwill if we want to keep them working for us. They’re good workers and reliable at their jobs; not at all the type who are so easily replaceable you know!”
“You’re right,” Alan replied in a tone of resignation. “I’ll make it right, dear. I won’t leave you without a penny when I’m gone, or be the robber of your son’s education.”
One week after I’d been admitted to the high dependency ward, Margaret visited Alan again. His wife had phoned the ward and left a message saying she’d come down with a touch of flu and didn’t want to compromise her husband’s low immune system. Amanda stayed away from the hospital for a couple of days; a time which both Alan and Margaret couldn’t have planned for, but greatly welcomed. I remember thinking how bad their marriage must be for Amanda to miss out two days of visiting her dying husband during the last two weeks of his life.
When Margaret visited Alan after her work had ended for the day she looked lovely as usual. She frequently wore these free-flowing dresses that showed the womanly shape of her sexy legs with each step she walked. You know the kind I mean - those dresses that seem to knock ten years off a woman’s age while significantly making any aging man forget his!
Although they kept their conversation quiet, I nevertheless was close enough to catch snippets of it; close enough to make sense of the essential messages being conveyed. I noticed the obvious worry on Margaret’s face as she entered the side ward.
“We need £3,564 by the end of…” I heard her tell Alan. “I’ve paid all the other bills, but…is needing urgent payment. I’ll try to buy us some time if possible and find some way of paying the drivers’ wages meanwhile, even if I’ve to borrow from Timothy’s university fund.”
Alan looked extremely concerned with hearing this news. It was obviously one more worry that he could well have done without during his final week of life.
"Don't worry about it, Alan" I heard Margaret tell him. "I'll sort it...one way or another, even if I've to borrow from my savings!"
"No, Maragaret! You can't do that!" Alan replied anxiously.
“Think nothing of it, Alan,” Margaret replied with tears in her eyes.
“But I don’t want you to use your money to bail out the firm!” he said.
“The three drivers must be paid! They deserve paying, dear,” Margaret replied. “Poor Jake has just fathered his second child and his wife won’t be able to return to work for months. We must keep the drivers’ goodwill if we want to keep them working for us. They’re good workers and reliable at their jobs; not at all the type who are so easily replaceable you know!”
“You’re right,” Alan replied in a tone of resignation. “I’ll make it right, dear. I won’t leave you without a penny when I’m gone, or be the robber of your son’s education.”
“Don’t you talk about going anywhere yet, Alan Hawthorn; I’m not ready to do without you yet!”
As Margaret spoke these tender words to Alan, I envied him the love of this unselfish woman; enough to have made the changing of places with him look like a fair swap on my part.
I then saw Margaret lean over towards Alan after looking around the ward to see that she wasn’t being observed and kiss him fulsomely on the mouth. I quickly looked away as she clasped tight hold of his hand.
As Margaret spoke these tender words to Alan, I envied him the love of this unselfish woman; enough to have made the changing of places with him look like a fair swap on my part.
I then saw Margaret lean over towards Alan after looking around the ward to see that she wasn’t being observed and kiss him fulsomely on the mouth. I quickly looked away as she clasped tight hold of his hand.
Although spoken much more softly than before, I was still close enough to hear much of their conversation.
“I’ll miss you and Timothy, lass” Alan said regretfully.” Oh…. Oh…I wish…. you know what I wish. I wish that you could jump into bed with me right now, Margaret, and…. Even this blasted cancer isn’t enough to make me stop wanting you; not enough to stop me wanting to feel you close. I love you to bits, lass. If only you knew how much I love you and want you right now… at this precise moment!”
Margaret knew that there would probably be no further sexual desire expressed by Alan during the short time he had left to live. She stood up, and after looking across at me in my bed, she slowly pulled the curtains around the corner of Alan’s bed bay.
“I’ll miss you and Timothy, lass” Alan said regretfully.” Oh…. Oh…I wish…. you know what I wish. I wish that you could jump into bed with me right now, Margaret, and…. Even this blasted cancer isn’t enough to make me stop wanting you; not enough to stop me wanting to feel you close. I love you to bits, lass. If only you knew how much I love you and want you right now… at this precise moment!”
Margaret knew that there would probably be no further sexual desire expressed by Alan during the short time he had left to live. She stood up, and after looking across at me in my bed, she slowly pulled the curtains around the corner of Alan’s bed bay.
While naturally wondering what was going on behind the curtains, I began to imagine what they were doing. I could imagine Margaret standing close by her lover’s bed, so that he could more readily access her upper leg and private parts with his hand. I then heard a faint sensual groan from Alan and a flapping of his bed sheets. No imagination was required to guess that he was being massaged beneath the sheets. I could just about make out hearing Margaret whisper, “Does that feel good, sweetheart?” and him replying with a muted voice, “Oh, yes… yes!”
“I love you, Alan,” Margaret replied.
“I love you, Alan,” Margaret replied.
A few minutes of silence elapsed between the couple before Margaret slowly drew back the curtains once more. The minutes before pulling back the curtains provided Alan and Margaret with the opportunity to compose themselves; enabling both to hide their blushes and any sense of embarrassment once their faces came back into the view of myself. Margaret then placed a urine bottle back on the locker top, as though the use of that container by Alan had been the sole reason behind her initially drawing the curtains around his bed bay.
Half an hour later, Margaret left the ward. I found it somewhat strange wondering how a man with little more than a week left to live could possibly think about satisfying his sexual desire, despite the great deal of pain he was experiencing.
About ten minutes later, Alan looked across and said, “We’ll miss our chat tonight, Bill, if you don’t mind, but I’ve come over tired suddenly”.
“That’s fine, Alan,” I added. “Was it a good visit?” I asked, tongue in cheek.
“It was…it was!” he replied. “What a woman Margaret is. She’s a woman and a half! She’s the most selfless human being I’ve ever met, Bill. I feel so sad with the thought of knowing it won’t be long now before I’ll miss her forever. I curse this blasted cancer!
As Alan spoke, I could sense the constraint between what he said and what he wanted to say, had Peter in the next bed at the side of me not been listening into our conversation.
We spoke very little on day seven of my time in the side ward as I was having to undergo one test or another for most of it. We didn’t speak again that night. I was also tired and ready for a few hours’ sleep, having been pricked and prodded and pushed from pillar to post being x-rayed, providing blood cultures, and having two infusions of blood and platelets.
About ten minutes later, Alan looked across and said, “We’ll miss our chat tonight, Bill, if you don’t mind, but I’ve come over tired suddenly”.
“That’s fine, Alan,” I added. “Was it a good visit?” I asked, tongue in cheek.
“It was…it was!” he replied. “What a woman Margaret is. She’s a woman and a half! She’s the most selfless human being I’ve ever met, Bill. I feel so sad with the thought of knowing it won’t be long now before I’ll miss her forever. I curse this blasted cancer!
As Alan spoke, I could sense the constraint between what he said and what he wanted to say, had Peter in the next bed at the side of me not been listening into our conversation.
We spoke very little on day seven of my time in the side ward as I was having to undergo one test or another for most of it. We didn’t speak again that night. I was also tired and ready for a few hours’ sleep, having been pricked and prodded and pushed from pillar to post being x-rayed, providing blood cultures, and having two infusions of blood and platelets.